Heisman History

In the 78 year history of the Heisman award, on December 8th, a first will happen when either Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel or Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o hoist the prestigious trophy. The Heisman trophy is given every year to the best college football player. Usually four or five candidates go to New York for the ceremony where the winner is announced; this year the two leading contenders to receive the award are Manziel and Te'o. So, why could Heisman history be made on December 8th? Well, lets start with Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel, he had a stellar season, passing for 3,419 yards with 28 TDs and only 8 INTs and also rushed for over 1,000 yards and 19 TDs, and oh yeah, he's only a freshman! No freshman has ever won the Heisman but Manziel is one of the top candidates. His competition is the Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o.

Manti Te'o could become the first TRUE defensive player to win the Heisman. Te'o lead the team in tackles with 101 and in INTs with 7 (tied for 2nd in the FBS). Average numbers for a LB, but what makes him a Heisman candidate is what he brings to his team. He is the undisputed leader of one of the best defenses in all of college football, a defense that at one point in the season did not allow an opponent TD for an entire month! He is the undisputed leader of the #1 team in the nation and has lead them to the BCS National Championship game. He has fought through adversity this season, losing his grandmother and girlfriend within a span of 8 hours and still did not miss a game, and he has silenced all doubters by proving he belongs in New York. 

No matter who wins, Manziel or Te'o, it will be a historic night in New York.

Nico Clifton
KIN 332i T/Th 2:00p

Sexism!

How come people can't overcome gender, but are able to overcome social class, power, race, or ethnicity? During my softball class, women always experienced sexism and we did not have an opinion until the end of the semester. For example, if a male was running the drills for the class, they usually decided to separate the females when it was time to pick teams for a game. After separating the females, they assigned us to a team based on our skill levels. Obviously us females did not stay quiet about the situation but it was pointless to argue with them because we never came to solutions and was wasting playing time instead. At the beginning of the semester we were offended because of the sexism that was occurring and no solutions was happening. As time went by, the guys realized that we were gaining skills and were looking good out in the field. We longer allowed them to pick teams for us, or even tells us what position we had to play.

Jannet Negrete

KIN 332i T/H 12:30-1:45

Over Paid Athletes

Do athletes make "too much" money? Is it fair that some of the highest-paid athletes in the world become multi- millionaires without a degree or descent education? And lastly, is it fair that athletes make hundreds of thousands of dollars annually from sponsors and advertising despite the fact that those same athletes are signed to tens of millions of dollar contracts with their respective sport teams?
   Without any intention of speaking negative about athletes, I will use Alex Rodriguez as an example of this very argument. Alex Rodriguez also nicknamed A-Rod, was an 18 year old kid at the time he made his Major League debut with the Seattle Mariners (did not attend college). Years into his professional baseball career, he signed the richest sports contract of ALL-TIME at 252 million dollars. After that contract expired; he signed a new contract (breaking his previous record) of 275 million dollars!! can you say WOW??  How can a person who straight from high school became a professional athlete make more money than, lets say, a doctor who by the way, went to college, attended a university and lets not forget studied for years before become a proffesional in his/her respective field?
  Opinions please!!


Pedro D.
Kin 332I

TTH 9:30-10:45

Is Adderall a PED?

Performance enhancing drugs have always been thought of in terms of physical ability. Players take drugs such as steroids and human growth hormone in order to gain more muscle, become faster, and to heal quicker. In all these cases, it is clear to see that a player was trying to get ahead physically. But with the recent Adderall related suspensions in the NFL, can a drug be a PED if it doesn't alter a person's physical body? Most students in college know what Adderall is. Adderall is a drug prescribed to people with ADD, and it basically helps improve a person's focus while providing some energy, without any major implications on the body. It will not make you faster, stronger, or heal quicker, but it will help you focus mentally. This brings up the question of whether Adderall is a PED or not. The stories on the players suspended are generally the same, with them taking Adderall in order to help them learn the playbook and to help keep them up at night while studying. These players are just trying to help themselves understand complicated playbooks, while in the offseason. Can a drug that does nothing to you physically be labeled as a PED? People for Adderall as a PED claim that because it helps a person's focus and energy unnatural, it should be banned. But what about energy drinks such as Red Bull and Monster? They also provide energy unnaturally, yet are not banned. And what about painkillers, unnaturally helping players mask pain in order to improve their performance. In my opinion, Adderall should not be classified as a PED because it does nothing for a person's body. Sure, it helps players become more focused, but why should this not be allowed, especially in the offseason? Players in the NFL have huge playbooks that have hundreds of plays in them, and if they can take a drug to help them learn and understand the playbook while not hurting themselves or others physically, why shouldn't they be able to?

Andrew Tran
009347674
KIN 332i
TTH 12:30

The Future of CSULB Basketball

Long Beach State Basketball suffered a huge loss in talent with the graduating of Casper Ware, Larry Anderson, and TJ Robinson at the end of this previous season.  Not only was talent lost but also was great team chemistry that had been built over the years they played together.  CSULB faces the challenge of rebuilding the team in order to ensure a spot in this year's NCAA tournament.  This year's roster features a lot of talent in Mike Caffey, James Ennis, and multiple transfers they received over this off season; however, these past few games have shown that they need a lot more improvement in order to match up to the caliber of last year's squad.  Mike Caffey must step up to replace Casper in the guard position and adapt the transfer students to the style of basketball CSULB plays.  Dan Jennings, one of the most promising active transfer students, has to develop an inside game in order to help the 49ers win.  Also, CAN HE LEARN TO SHOOT A FREE THROW?!? There is no way he will be a contributing factor to a Big West Championship team when he throws up bricks every time he makes it to the free throw line.  My friends and I all believe that if Caffey steps up to bring this team together, Jennings develops a dominate inside game, and the soon to be active transfer students play the way they are capable of, then CSULB Basketball should be making it's second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Rhys Ward Kin 332i Tues Thurs 2:00-3:15

Money in the NFL

The majority of revenue that the NFL makes comes from merchandise and advertising. The usual ad that airs during commercials break during the super bowl cost about $3 million for 30 seconds. In 2006, the NFL made over $3.2 billion just on merchandising alone and you can imagine how much they make now in 2012 since the sport has grown. During the NFL lockout last year the league executives and owners were trying to undermine the players and giving them less money than what they were asking for. They had the hardest time trying to split $9 billion, the league was trying to give players below 45% of the revenue and the rest would go into making more accommodations or to improve stadiums. I believe that greed played a role in this lockout, the owners were trying to get more money, but why would they ask for more money if they make so much money from a sport that makes $9 billion in revenue. I believe that players should of got paid more money, because of all the sacrifices they make in this sport and how their bodies are after retiring. 

Eric Lopez

010557623

T/TH 2:00-3:15

Racism in Soccer a Cultural Issue?

Racism is an issue that has always been intertwined within the fabric of the sport tainting an otherwise beautiful sport. Before the 2010 world cup in South Africa Abedi Pele an former professional soccer star who is now an ambassador against racism for FIFA. While he was playing professional soccer he played for a French football team and traveled all around Europe playing in different competitions. He stated that during some of these matches opponents fans would throw oranges and bananas at him. According to Abedi Pele, racism in soccer is now much better than it was previously. The soccer governing body has now enforced punishments for clubs, players and fans of clubs for participating in racist activity (Ballong). Despite these punishments inflicted by FIFA on clubs, fans and players for participating in racist activity the problem has not gone away. Over the past month we have had several clubs fined for racist behavior all through out Europe. In Spain they were fined 20,000 Euros, two Italians were arrested after they stabbed and assaulted a Tottenham fan making anti-Jewish statements. In Austria on a Television Broadcasting a white TV reporter was painted black representing a player and made fun of with clear racist jokes about a banana (soccernet.espn.go) All of these different offenders have been severely punished for their actions and all occurred in different parts of Europe. Because of this is it fair to blame these racist actions on the culture that soccer creates or do these incidents highlight that racism is still a prominent issue in society?

Jacob Castersen

T/Thu 9:30

Deviance Strips the Fame

The new Hall of Fame candidates for Baseball have been posted. Among them are Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa, huge names in baseball even to those who hardly follow the sport. These men have incredible histories in baseball, but their use of performance-enhancing drugs could hinder them from getting into the hall of fame. According to the article, this could cause some heated discussions in the baseball world, as the members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America decide whether or not these men will make it to the Hall of Fame.


In my opinion, any player with this tainted history should not make it into the hall of fame. If baseball is trying to rid the sport of performance-enhancing drugs, they cannot reward the use of them. These men still have incredible home-run records, and that can be their claim to fame. As for the Hall, it should steer clear of letting these men in, in order to preserve the sober sport.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/bonds-clemens-sosa-set-show-081617598--mlb.html

Nicole Pattison
T/Th 2:00 Sec. 6

Current Times...

The topic that I looked forward to the most during the semester was the Penn State scandal and the underlying social influences that had an impact from and towards the issue. I was not surprised that this was happening in sport, but was surprised at the lengths that the administrators went to cover this up and the lack of moral responsibility they executed. I was disgusted at the judgments calls that the administrators at Penn State did towards Sandusky. The lives that they have compromised and affected because of their selfish interests was wrong and unforgivable at so many levels. This is not the only problem that we encounter at the Collegiate level, sadly. The core of what sports are supposed to provide an individual, at the collegiate level and the main reason why they should be there is education. The issues also seep through in sport, and example came from and Ohio State football player that tweeted, "Why should we have to go to class if we came here to play FOOTBALL, we ain't come to play SCHOOL classes are POINTLESS." Which was posted earlier this year in October. It leaves me thinking, what is the point of playing sports and what are their purposes as we go from playing youth to higher level? Can these issues ever be fixed, or corrected? The more awareness we bring to issues like these can enforce rules to keep sport in line with what the typical American thinks the characteristics are supposed to provide. 

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8484038/tweet-revealed-truth-student-athletes

Krysta Alarcon

kin 332I.S5

More Female Athletes on TV?...Yea right!

I agreeable dislike how with every smart or talented woman athlete, they are always standing beside their husband.  I do not like that woman athletes are still being pushed behind and can’t even being recognized for their own talent.  A perfect example is Misty May-Treanor.  All time Olympian for beach volleyball with partner Kerry Walsh.  Coming locally from Cal State Long Beach, it is always great to watch them in the sand dominate match after match.  These two ladies train year round to hold up their title which is not easy to do considering teams like China trying to take their spot.  What really upsets me about the media is that they take that focus away from them.  As we all know and constantly hear, Misty May is now married to Matt Treanor where she decided to take his last name.  Her husband is also a professional baseball athlete for the Los Angeles Dodgers. We can also agree that he is not the MVP of the team but nevertheless, as soon as Misty May-Treanor and Kerry Walsh once again take the gold medal for 2012 the reporters ask what would her husband and the Los Angeles Dodgers think?? That really bothers me because it’s not about her husband or his team.  It is her moment to shine and what’s going through her mind.  It is the media that need to shift to give equality with women and it is up to the viewers to let the media know.   

Michelle Barrera

T/Th 9:30am-10:45am

Performance Enhancing Drugs

Today, the Philadelphia Phillie's catcher, Carlos Ruiz was suspended for the first 25 games of next season because he tested positive for an amphetamine that qualified as a performance enhancing drugs. He had one of the best batting averages in the league at .325 which is particularly impressive for a catcher. He publicly apologized for using the performance enhancing stimulant and also stated he looks forward to returning.
While this is major hit to the Phillie's line up, the use of performance enhancing drugs is nothing new to the sport of baseball, or any other sport for that matter. After our discussions in class I'm now realizing how many different things can impact the decision of whether to use them or not. Obviously there is an immense pressure placed on these athletes to perform at a certain level, steroids and other drugs make it much easier to meet these expectations. But that doesn't mean that these athletes automatically become the superman of there sport; they still need push themselves extremely hard and practice to the same extent, the steroids or other drugs just allow them to push their bodies harder and further than without them. Do you agree with the illegality of their use? I'm torn...

Brittney Adams
010230907
KIN332i (T/Th 9:30-10:45)

Racial Tensions Across the Pond

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1241045/fa-to-investigate-west-ham-chants-at-spurs?cc=5901

In the heated London Derby this last weekend between Tottenham and West Ham United, some of the visiting West Ham supporters made a slew of racial and vulgar remarks. Although rivalries are one of the greatest aspects in sports, remarks such as these have no place in any realm of athletics. As the article states the FA is making investigations into these remarks and if the club is found guilty, they will pay a hefty fine. In the EU, unlike here in the US, racial remarks are federal offenses. The article also refers to an incident earlier in the week when a Tottenham fan, while on holiday in Rome to support his team, was beaten while visiting a pub. Not only were the West Ham supporters making racial slurs, but they were bringing up a subject that was of just bad taste for lack of better verbiage. Unfortunately, this is just another somber reminder of how cruel and unjust even the most advanced civilizations can be.

Alex Burke 2pm (The good class)

Social Class & Recruiting

College athletics and deviance seem to go hand in hand these days. With the Sandusky/Paterno scandal of last year surfacing, we can see now more than ever that there are flaws in our supposedly perfect NCAA world. Coaches do any and everything they can to get the top recruits to their schools, they lie, they bribe, they promise that if they come to their campus and play for their team that they will be rewarded with success and no more financial burden. To a kid coming from a lower class family, the promises made to them by these college coaches seem like a dream come true, and it is. College coaches promise success and financial security to recruits, especially to those with crazy athletic talent and very little financial support. Kids that come from poverty and rough family backgrounds are, a lot of the time, the kids who flourish in college sports such as football and basketball because those are the types of kids that coaches can have the most control over and the coach can be seen as a parental figure. Coaches will make these kids the stars of the team and use them to boost their own reputation within the coaching world. Poverty stricken kids are the central target of big time football and basketball programs because their success will not only benefit themselves but also the coaches. 

-Taylor Jackson T/Th 9:30-10:45

Publicity for Men Only

Even though sports have become less discriminatory with the personnel participating in them, an imbalance remains consistent with who the media chooses to broadcast and make famous. It is surprising to see the increase in women's participation with sports, from year to year, considering the very minimal publicity they receive. I rarely come across a professional women's sports game on T.V., a woman being sponsored by a company and having thousands of commercials aired each week, or any other source of media promoting sports to be something other than a masculine competition. This unfortunate truth correlates with the gender ideology that we Americans have been raised to believe in; that sports should be the first thing a boy should engage in and learn about, while putting make-up on a doll should be a girl's first hobby. This puts women in a huge disadvantage when they are interested in playing a sport. One, they may be looked upon as being lesbian and made fun of because they are participating in a certain sport; and two, they do not get any support from the media, showing that other women play sports too and that it is not just a masculine hobby. I believe that gender ideology is the main cause for the lack of media coverage on women's athletics. Many women do not watch sports because they were raised in a society that does not promote women's participation in sports. Since the media is controlled by mostly white men with an abundance of wealth, a dramatic increase in support from almost all women would need to ensue for an increase in publicity for women's athletics. I feel that women's athletics have become more acceptable and popular, but a lot more would need to occur, in order to achieve gender equity.


Michael Miller
KIN 332i-06

Just Another Lock Out

Recently we have seen two high profile sports football and basketball have lock outs that were shown everyday on sports center and seen by many as the "end of the world." But another sport is having a lock out and this is rarely shown on sports center and most people don't even know its going on, that sport is hockey. The sport has just announced their will be no games through the 14th of december and the all star game has been cancelled. For a sport struggling to survive already behind the much more popular sports this is the kind of thing that could really kill advertisement deals and the sport overall. The most amazing thing is that most people don't know that this is going on probably because the NFL and NBA seasons take the center stage on sports center. When the NBA or NFL were in lock out scenarios it just seemed to me that everytime I flipped to sports center something was being reported. Just like the NBA lockout stars are starting up contracts with over seas leagues the difference is for a lot of the players in the NHL those are their home countries. The sport is vastly more popular in those countries, the pay is equal if not better in some cases, and you get the chance to be a huge celebrity. Where as in America people might know the huge names and they get paid and treated well, but do the smaller guys get the same pay or recognition as their NBA or NFL counter parts? I highly doubt anything even close. There isn't a lot we can do to help this lock out be over with, but maybe this post will show just like we have been learning in class that the popular sports really do dominate all sports.
Do you think the NHL can survive this lock out?
Do you think that any NHL games will be played this season?

Matt Miller (T/TH 9:30-10:45)

Beckham Bombshell

David Beckham is a legacy not only in the United States but also throughout the entire world. Beckham is known not only known for his incredible soccer skills and dedication to a sport, but I think he has had far more success in popularizing the game of soccer and has made the Galaxy one of the biggest franchises in the MLS. As many Galaxy and soccer fans are sadden to see December 1st approaching, Beckham has done a great deal in improving the quality, reputation and importance of a sport. Don Garber, The MLS Commissioner states that, “When David Beckham signed with the LA Galaxy in 2007, he set out to help grow MLS and the sport of soccer in North America. There is no doubt that MLS is far more popular and important here and abroad than it was when he arrived.” (MLSSoccer.com). I agree with Garber, Beckham has provided more to the American people than a win in the MLS final. From Beckhams’ popularity and influence in soccer, the MLS has expanded exponentially and created seven additional teams. The league now has nineteen clubs, and fifteen of those clubs play in soccer specific stadiums such as the Home Depot Center. To non-soccer fans that many not seem like a huge success but to soccer fans it represents progress in making soccer a popular sport.  Not only has the league benefited from Beckham but also so has the attendance rating and the recognition of the sport has never been higher. Beckham has also revolutionized the pay structure of the league. Although, Beckhams’ career in the US is coming to an end, the success of Beckham cannot be ignored. During his time, the MLS has added new teams, built better stadiums, signed better players and brought in more money than ever. Beckham is not solely responsible for the changes that have occurred but he is accountable for increasing the status of soccer in American pop culture. Overall, Beckham has had a huge impact not only in the sport of soccer but also in American pop culture.

With Beckham leaving the LA Galaxy, do you think soccer will still be prevalent in the United States? And do you think the LA Galaxy will lose popularity once Beckham leaves? 

Francesca Benfanti ( T/ Th 2- 3:15) 

Old Fashion Discrimination in Today's Society?

High school and college sports still need to mature in their evolution towards equality. We've gone passed the race of a person, but not the sex. Earlier this week was a perfect example of how this is so true. I was deciding the drills and activities of the softball class and after the drills were over and with no class Wednesday I decided to have a game day. Since we were already split up in four equal teams for drills I decided the easiest way to start the game as quickly as possible was to combine team one and team two to face team three and team four.  No one had a problem with this until someone pointed out that team two, originally team 3 and four, had all the girls in the class. It wasn't until I said out loud, “what does the sex of the student have to do with anything, if after one inning the skill level is off balance we will readjust.”  Following that statement everyone agreed and started to play. The teams were pretty much equal with team two leading the way the majority of the time and team one stealing the win in the last inning.

Does the sex matter on a sports team or is it an old fashioned way to separate us as a society like race used to be? 

Shane Hall (TTH 930-1045)

The Growth of MMA

The sport of MMA has been growing extremely fast, especially over the past ten years. When the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) started in 1993, it was seen as a brutal spectacle by most and was not considered a sport. By 2001 the company was bought by the Fertita brothers, two multi- millionaires who were very passionate about MMA and were about to transform it into a well known sport. When you look at the UFC today, it has become one of the fastest growing sports and is now followed by millions of fans around the world. MMA is usually known as UFC now because it has bought and absorbed its major competitors over the past few years, including Pride FC, WEC, and Strikeforce to name few. Many see it as a monopoly, although the UFC can take most of the credit for the growth of MMA. They have set new rules in order for it to be considered a sport in the states and all around the world. They have been going to countries all around the globe and are still waiting to go into different markets. The UFC recently added a women's division also, so this means that women who are interested in the sport can now join. This will also attract more female fans because they will now have female figures they can cheer for. MMA had me hooked since I was in middle school, and it's one of the best sports out there in every aspect. Everyone should give it a chance.

Joel Romo (KIN 332I Tu/Th 12:30)

Keep it Real

This post is in response to everything going on with Lance Armstrong and his doping charges. I actually did not know about this until we talked about it in class and they had already decided to take away his millions of dollars in prize money and strip him of his medals. It was shocking to me because I always thought of Lance as a very highly respectable athlete and it didn't occur to me that he would blood dope. I learned about blood doping in my high school physiology class and I found it fascinating that you could take out your blood and then 6 months later put it back in and have twice as many red blood cells as you did before. This is obviously very useful for cyclists and long distance runners because when you have more red blood cells, your body can carry oxygen much faster to all the muscles in your body that need it. Since this kind of doping is biological compared to the other steroidal drugs out there, some people may not frown upon it as much. But to me it's the same as taking any other manufactured steroid. If you want your body to become better at endurance there is a much easier way than blood doping and it takes the same amount of time that it would take for you to wait to put your blood back in; it's called training in a higher altitude than what you are used to for 6 months. This training gives the same affect as blood doping but it isn't illegal and you are actually working on getting better than just sitting around waiting for your blood. I think Lance deserved what he got. I don't think anyone should use drugs to make them perform better. If you want to get better then you should train. Practice makes, not perfection, but an outstanding athlete. Plus you would feel much better about yourself if you trained really hard for something and won, than if you took a drug and won. Steroids are fake and no one likes fake people.

Shannon Lawry (TTh 2:00)
KIN 332I